Upon a dark throne on the peaks of the mountains of Kreshlak, Fortenex surveyed the war. There, he saw the white ships of Estal sailing swift and sure across the water. Led by the merfolk, they caught a fleet of Calishan ships in the harbor. A vessel was soaked with oil and set aflame.
Fortenex's champion steered the ship herself. It landed among the Calishans, and many were set to flame. Yet the winds were not favorable. No request came from Elranor, and much damage was done. Even so, many of the Calishan ships escaped the burning.
Prince Aris' fleet withdrew and was fast pursued. The battle was joined beneath the cliffs of the sword peninsula. Here, Prince Aris and Tanith did deeds of great valor. Fortenex smiled at them and gave them strength.
Already, the two of them had boarded the fleet of a Calishan Lord. Tanith was hacking and slashing, smiling as she cut the limbs and heads off men by the dozen. Aris was behind her. He launched arrow after arrow, and each one found its mark. Behind him came the men of Estal, who washed over the defender's broken line.
Many widows in Calisha would long lament that day.
"See how she fights, Karasush," said Fortenex, pleasedly. "With the savagery of a satyr and the skill of a knight, could I ask for a more suitable champion?"
"I am glad for you," said Karasush. "But Elranor hasn't used the wind."
Fortenex felt a twinge of irritation at that. Must Karasush spoil the show? "I noticed Karasush. No doubt, he perceived that I wanted him to use it then. Perhaps he hopes to defeat Baltoth by traditional means. Though I've never taken Elranor for a fool."
"He may be trying to conserve his advantage," said Karasush. "Wait until he has a larger fleet of Calishan ships to destroy. Or perhaps he has decided to sacrifice Estal to pursue his goal."
"Why would he sacrifice Estal?" asked Fortenex. "The one that controls it controls the passages between Viokinar, Harlenor, and Calisha. It is of vital importance."
"Elranor is not interested in a full-scale war with Calisha," admitted Karasush. "Or so I guess. Duke Vanion is doing his work at the moment. Elranor will be in a powerful position if he can secure Viokinar as the new Harlenorian Kingdom."
"Yet that does not answer my question, Karasush," said Fortenex.
"I am thinking, milord," said Karasush. I think I have it. I believe that Elranor intends to force a stalemate with Calisha. Perhaps keep Estal out of their hands but satisfy them with some preferential treatment in trade. Reduce the ships that Estal is allowed to field, that sort of thing.
"Either that or he believes Calisha is going to collapse because of unrelated forces. He may know something we don't. Certainly, I can't imagine him approving of Aris' actions or holding any affection for Safara's pleas."
"A stalemate, then?" asked Fortenex. He'd never liked stalemates. There wasn't nearly enough rape and murder in them as a one-sided massacre. "Yes, I could see Estal managing that. Duke Vanion would probably invite Suloth for tea and politely speak with him. Then he'll convince everyone that a mass bloodletting isn't worth their time. And wouldn't it be nice if they could all pretend to be friends?"
"Duke Vanion would be hard-pressed to it," said Karasush. "This is no raid upon a Calishan village. Aris has kidnapped the daughter of Baltoth. Whether she gave consent doesn't matter.
"No, this is a question of honor. So it will be single combat that ends this story."
Fortenex laughed. "Single combat? I wouldn't say I like the sounds of that. Explain yourself, Karasush."
"Vanion's best hope for making peace is for the war to cost Calisha dearly and drag on," said Karasush. "When enough blood has been spilled, he can suggest Aris and Baelgost fight in single combat. For the hand of Safara, of course.
"Whoever wins will keep her."
"That won't resolve things, Karasush, and you know," said Fortenex. "Calisha isn't launching hundreds of ships to watch a fight. Baltoth will want to get something out of this."
"You are right, of course," said Karasush. "Vanion will no doubt work out a favorable deal which will go into effect either way. The fight is merely part of the narrative. So that when Calisha returns home, they can describe the epic final duel. The battle where Baelgost slew Aris and reclaimed his stolen wife.
"Instead of Vanion offering them a trade deal to go away.
"Narrative, my friend, is nearly as important to politics as the deal." He paused. "...I do not mean-"
"No, it's all right, Karasush," said Fortenex. "You've been indispensable long enough to warrant the status.
"Now the question remains, what are we to do about this?"
"Lord Fortenex, there is no surety that things will even reach that point," said Karasush. "Calisha may well destroy Estal before the cost becomes high enough."
"Yes, of course, things may go like that," said Fortenex. A resolve came to him. "We'll have to make sure that doesn't happen."
"And how will we do that? Summon the winds?" asked Karasush.
"Unfortunately, no. I do not want to be seen openly opposing my brother," said Fortenex. If Elranor had demanded it, I could use the winds against him and just claim I was fulfilling my obligations. However, if I enter the war on Elranor's side, I invite reprisals.
"No, we must be cunning.
"How are our wars with the colonists going?"
And he looked there. He saw Grendesh fighting with a group of adventurers. The steel-handed giant had clubbed in two of their heads and was now working on a third. Yet elsewhere, a small, white-bearded sorcerer was setting satyrs and giants on fire. He bore the symbol of Magicora, a white dove flying before the sun. Then, there was a fortified village holding out against a siege. Spearmen were holding a line against waves of satyrs.
"We have seized a great deal of land, Lord Fortenex," said Karasush. "Grendesh is proving just as deadly with his new hand as with the old one. However, Duke Vanion has several critical battles that have thrown us back.
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"Fortunately, Vanion can't use his advantage. He's too busy trying to reorder what is left of the Iron Kingdom. He has been given the problem of knitting together a society that was coming apart before we gutted it."
"Then he will gladly seek a truce," said Fortenex. "Go to King Byran and seek peace."
"King Byran?" asked Karasush.
"Yes. I don't want Duke Vanion to be regarded as the King in all but name," said Fortenex.
"Talking to Byran will undercut his authority."
"Byran is far less reasonable than Vanion," Karasush warned him. "He hates satyrs and giants. His entire career has been spent fighting them."
"Yes, but Vanion will convince him to agree," said Fortenex. "That makes Vanion an advisor. Not a power behind the throne."
"It will take far more than that to undermine Duke Vanion's authority, milord," said Karasush. "Byran relies on him for support."
"True," conceded Fortenex. "But the greatest wars always result from the smallest of differences. By resolving our feud with Vanion, we open the door for him to begin bringing pressure on Baltoth to end the war.
"That will take him out of our hair and advance our goal."
"You contradict yourself, milord," said Karasush. "You want the war to continue as long as possible. Yet to want Vanion to begin negotiations."
"The best wars are the ones which continue despite negotiations," said Karasush. "Where the efforts of the meek and the peaceful fail and the flames of wrath burn ever brighter. Thus will all the land be reduced to ashes, and the burning scent shall reach heaven."
"...You believe that a failed negotiation will escalate the conflict," guessed Karasush.
"If I must be plain, yes," said Fortenex. "If the wars go on long enough, Vanion will have to throw his support behind Estal or be discredited. That is what we are aiming for."
"And how will we ensure the war goes on?" asked Karasush.
Karasush could always be relied on to keep Fortenex focused. "With a daring rescue, of course. One that cannot be traced back to us. Take charge of things, Karasush. I have a meeting with a long-estranged daughter." And he rose from his throne.
"There is one other thing, milord," said Karaush. "With the Void Stone destroyed, we cannot open portals. We may have to start from scratch."
Fortenex smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Worry not, Karasush. The Void Stone was merely the shell around the true artifact. So long as the coming war is bloody enough, we should be able to improvise a solution."
"Is that why you will meet Arraxia?" asked Karasush.
Fortenex sighed. "No. I'll let her draw her conclusions regarding the shard of the Hellfire Jewel. Melchious and I put a great deal of effort into getting that piece into this world. She can discover the mystery herself. I have other business with her."
He did not take his chariot this time. He didn't want to stir up any winds. Instead, he transported himself into the midst of Baltoth's retribution. There, he found groups of satyrs dancing around a circle of bonfires. They howled and cried out in victory.
As he stepped into the light of the fire, all the dancing stopped. Into view came a huge albino satyr. He was missing one hand and had many scars on his chest. However, he held a spear in one hand and pointed it forward.
"Fortenex," said Doltier.
"A battle happened here recently. And yet only three beings died," said Fortenex. "I don't smell death on any of you. What have you been doing for the past few months?"
"Our mistress took the Dreaming Goddess captive," said Doltier.
"Very well," said Fortenex. "Bring me to her."
"I have been instructed that if you came asking for her, you were to find her yourself," said Doltier.
"Are you mocking me?" asked Fortenex.
"If Arraxia intended for you to interpret it as mockery, then yes," said Doltier flatly.
Fortenex paused. "I like you," he decided. "I'll find her myself."
He walked into the fortress, and wherever he went, satyrs scrambled to get out of the way. He sensed that this place was coursed with his daughter's power and the Dreaming Goddesses. How had she managed to ally with them?
He entered the throne room. Arraxia was lounging on her throne. His axe lay across her knees, and in one claw was clasped a small fragment of a red gem—the piece of undiluted power around which the Void Stone had been built. Did she even realize the potential of that artifact? If she did not, he had no intention of enlightening her.
Yet best of all was what lay above. Floating in a blue crystal was the Dreaming Goddess. Her hair was flowing around her, and her expression was peaceful. There was his answer.
"I am told you go by Arraxia of late," said Fortenex. "Or was it Saphra?"
Arraxia looked up. "Fortenex. What the angel do you want?"
"To see my interests advanced," said Fortenex. "And to gain vengeance for your mother. Both these things may be advanced through you."
"How wonderful for you," said Arraxia, looking to be in a bad mood. "What is that to me?"
"Well, I can't help but notice that your plans have gone awry," said Fortenex. "The Void Stone is destroyed, and with it, all the souls you might have used for your own ends are gone. You still have the Axe of Fortenex, yet it has not yet fully responded to you.
"Does it?"
"I noticed," said Arraxia.
"Do you know why I deny you full access to it? What do you lack that Melchious has?" asked Fortenex.
"There is nothing," said Arraxia.
"Blood on your hands," said Fortenex. "My servants are those who cause untold destruction and death. I value the smiling chancellor who orders the execution of a village as much as a berserker.
"Melchious achieved his goals, and I respected that. But how he achieved them is where he truly became favored. The enemies were slaughtered, and the nations were put to the sword. These things I delighted in.
"You lack that same thirst for blood."
"I thirst for power. And I achieve it in whatever way I can," said Arraxia. "Causing massacres isn't in my interest."
"True enough. I respect that," said Fortenex. "However, I cannot condone what you have done to this land. Melchious turned these satyrs into the most bloodthirsty and vicious of all creatures. And you are well on your way to pulling their teeth."
"They are mine, Fortenex," hissed Arraxia. "Not yours. I will shape them into whatever form pleases me. And if you try to interfere, I'll destroy you and all of the animals you call wives."
"Well spoken, daughter," said Fortenex. "I had begun to give up hope for you. Yet if you are to wield the Axe of Fortenex, you must cause death on a far greater scale than you are now."
"You want me to do something for you," guessed Arraxia. "What is it?"
"Why, march to war, of course," said Fortenex. "No doubt you've heard of the war coming to Estal."
"News came to me of it, yes," said Arraxia. "The Dust Elves sent word."
"Calisha is very likely to win and win quickly," said Fortenex. "However, if reinforcements were to be brought to Estal, the war might well have been extended a great deal."
"You want me to enter into a brutal war of attrition with Calisha, leaving my domain exposed to the Nakmar and the elves," said Arraxia.
"Queen Kiyora is naive and foolish," said Fortenex. She will not take advantage of such an opening. Moreover, can't you sense it? Your saints are restless. For years, they have lived for blood and death. Yet now there is peace if a false one.
"Soon enough, this false peace will fall to pieces. When that happens, there will be war anyway.
"No. You need something to satiate their bloodthirst. And Estal is the perfect target."
"What are you offering me in return?" asked Arraxia.
"I'm giving you a chance to impress me, Arraxia," said Fortenex. "A chance to wield the full might of the Axe of Fortenex. With all this to gain, I'm sure you can find a way to secure your borders while your fleets sail to war."
Arraxia seemed considered it. "...I want something more."
"Hmm?" said Fortenex.
"Well, in truth, I could stay here and do nothing, and my power would not diminish," said Arraxia. "On the other hand, if you don't stop Baltoth from taking Estal, you'll face many problems. No, I want something else."
"What can a Father do for his daughter?" asked Fortenex.
"I haven't decided yet," admitted Arraxia. "When I decide, I'll call you."
"A little overconfident, aren't we?" asked Fortenex.
"Well, it is part of my charm," said Arraxia.
"I remember now why your mother was my favorite," said Fortenex. "Don't disappoint me, Arraxia." Then he turned to walk out.
"You know the name you gave me," said Arraxia. "The least you could do is use it."
"I don't. I've quite forgotten it," admitted Fortenex. "You haven't been important enough to warrant my attention until now. What is it?"
Arraxia looked at him in silent fury. "..."...Then I have no intention of telling it to you."
"Fair enough," said Fortenex.
And he walked away.
"Where are you going now?" asked Shamans.
"I'm going to pay my shamans in the Islands of Power a visit," said Fortenex. I think it is time some of my other worshippers were spurred into action." Then he was gone.